It was easy to greet Kyle MacLean’s presence in the Islanders’ organization with an eye roll when he signed as an undrafted free agent three years ago.
His father, John, after all played 14 seasons for Lou Lamoriello’s Devils, then coached them, then was hired last year as an assistant coach of the Islanders.
Now, though, it is not a mere coincidence or unearned accolade that the younger MacLean is still around at Islanders training camp after the first wave of cuts took place last week.
He has, in fact, gone on the sort of trajectory that counts as a success for an undrafted free agent.
Over two full seasons in AHL Bridgeport — he played just 22 games in 2021-22 — MacLean has established himself as an able, solid everyday player.
He acquitted himself well in rookie camps last year and this year. He has held his own in this training camp.
The 24-year-old is a near lock to start the year in the AHL, and it would be farfetched to believe otherwise. But a call-up this year, at some point, does not seem entirely out of the question.
“I’ve liked him,” coach Lane Lambert said over the weekend. “I think he’s extremely intelligent. He fit well into that [fourth-line] role. He killed penalties in both the games that he played and did a really good job. He takes faceoffs and he can skate.”
MacLean centered Cal Clutterbuck and Ross Johnston in the Saturday win against the Rangers, playing a solid up-and-down 11:07 with an assist.
For the past couple years, the Islanders have relied on Otto Koivula as a fourth line center fill-in when necessary. MacLean looks well on the path to taking that role.
“I’m comfortable with that [fourth-line role],” MacLean said. “Down in Bridgeport, I [killed penalties] a lot. I was relied on to be a good two-way forward. Up here the message is the same. Keep trying to be solid defensively, up and down the ice. Penalty kill, it’s a part of my game I need to be good at. Up here I embrace it, just as I would down there.”
Not so bad for an undrafted free agent.
Lambert spoke positively about Calle Odelius’ preseason debut on Monday night, in which the 2022 second-round pick skated for 16:44 and was paired with Ryan Pulock.
“I thought he was pretty good,” Lambert said. “His mobility, his skating, I thought there was times when potentially he could’ve moved the puck a little quicker, but you could say that about all our D corps tonight. I was happy to see him play, happy with what we saw.”